What Is Corporate Social Responsibility? 4 Types | HBS Online (2024)

Until fairly recently, most large businesses were driven almost exclusively with a single goal in mind: maximizing profits.

In the past few decades, however, more business leaders have recognized that they have a responsibility to do more than simply maximize profits for shareholders and executives. Rather, they have a social responsibility to do what’s best—not just for their companies, but people, the planet, and society at large.

This realization has led to the emergence of companies identifying as socially responsible. Some even carry designations or seals, such as B Corporations (B Corps), social purpose corporations (SPCs), and low-profit limited liability companies (L3Cs).

But what is corporate social responsibility, and what are the different forms it can take?

What Is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)?

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the idea that a business has a responsibility to the society that exists around it, according to the online course Sustainable Business Strategy.

Firms that embrace CSR are typically organized in a manner that empowers them to act in a socially responsible way to positively impact the world. It’s a form of self-regulation that can be expressed in initiatives or strategies, depending on an organization’s goals. Many organizations communicate these efforts to external and internal stakeholders through corporate social responsibility reports.

There are various examples of what “socially responsible” means from organization to organization. Firms are often guided by a concept known as the triple bottom line, which dictates that a business should be committed to measuring its social and environmental impact, sustainability efforts, and profits. The adage “profit, people, planet,” known as the “three P’s,” is often used to summarize the driving force behind this concept.

Check out our video on corporate social responsibility below, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more explainer content!

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Types of Corporate Social Responsibility

CSR is traditionally broken into four categories: environmental, philanthropic, ethical, and economic responsibility.

1. Environmental Responsibility

Environmental responsibility is the belief that organizations should behave in as environmentally friendly a way as possible. It’s one of the most common forms of CSR. Some companies use the term “environmental stewardship” to refer to such initiatives.

Companies that seek to embrace environmental responsibility can do so in several ways:

• Reducing harmful practices: Decreasing pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, the use of single-use plastics, water consumption, and general waste
• Regulating energy consumption: Increasing reliance on renewables, sustainable resources, and recycled or partially recycled materials
• Offsetting negative environmental impact: Planting trees, funding research, and donating to related causes

2. Ethical Responsibility

Ethical responsibility is concerned with ensuring an organization is operating in a fair and ethical manner. Organizations that embrace ethical responsibility aim to practice ethical behavior through fair treatment of all stakeholders, including leadership, investors, employees, suppliers, and customers.

Firms can embrace ethical responsibility in different ways. For example, a business might set its own, higher minimum wage if the one mandated by the state or federal government doesn’t constitute a “livable wage.” Likewise, a business might require that products, ingredients, materials, or components be sourced according to free trade standards.

In this regard, many firms have processes to ensure they’re not purchasing products resulting from slavery or child labor.

3. Philanthropic Responsibility

Philanthropic responsibility refers to a business’s aim to actively make the world and society a better place.

In addition to acting ethically and environmentally friendly, organizations driven by philanthropic responsibility often dedicate a portion of their earnings. While many firms donate to charities and nonprofits that align with their missions, others donate to worthy causes that don’t directly relate to their business. Others go so far as to create their own charitable trust or organization to give back and have a positive impact on society.

4. Economic Responsibility

Economic responsibility is the practice of a firm backing all of its financial decisions in its commitment to do good. The end goal isn’t just to maximize profits, but also to make sure the business operations positively impact the environment, people, and society.

What Are the Benefits of Corporate Social Responsibility?

Most firms embrace CSR due to moral convictions, which can result in several benefits and important social change.

CSR initiatives can, for example, be a powerful marketing tool, helping a company position itself favorably in the eyes of consumers, investors, and regulators. These initiatives can also improve employee engagement and satisfaction—key measures that drive retention. They can even attract potential employees who carry strong personal convictions that match those of the organization.

Finally, CSR initiatives inherently force business leaders to examine hiring and management practices, where and how they source products or components, and the steps they take to deliver value to customers.

This reflection can often lead to innovative and groundbreaking solutions that help a company act in a more socially responsible way and increase profits. For example, reconceptualizing the manufacturing process so that a company consumes less energy and produces less waste allows it to become more environmentally friendly while reducing its energy and materials costs—value that can be reclaimed and shared with both suppliers and customers.

Are you interested in learning how to lead your organization toward positive change? Explore Sustainable Business Strategy—one of our online courses related to business in society—and discover how you can become a purpose-driven leader. Not sure which course is the right fit? Download our free course flowchart to determine which best aligns with your goals.

This post was updated on August 8, 2023. It was originally published on April 8, 2021.